Joy and relief at various ice cream clubs in Hoorn. The municipality is financially helping the De Westfries ice rink, so that it can be reopened next month. “We jumped for joy when we heard the good news,” says Gerrit Bakker, organizer of marathon competitions in Hoorn.
The municipality of Hoorn announced yesterday that it will open the ice rink meet want to come by deferring payment of the rent. This puts an end to the uncertainty. Because because of a extra high cost item it looked like ice rink De Westfries had to remain closed next month.
Eva Rustenburg, Optisport’s regional manager who manages the ice rink, calls the municipality’s decision ‘fantastic’. “We are very happy with the financial compensation,” she says. “Also for all skaters and associations who like to come here.”
Happy for skaters
The reopening of the ice rink next month has also been well received by the Blue Mountain Cougars, an ice hockey club from Hoorn. Chairman Jeroen Klappe tells WEFF/NH Nieuws that he is very happy that the season can just start. The teams train twice a week on the Hoorn ice rink.
“We can start immediately in October. It is great that our members now have clarity. We only heard about the closure a week ago. Then you will see what you can postpone so as not to have to incur costs. After the reopening was announced we communicated it directly to our members.”
Gerrit Bakker, who organizes marathon competitions at De Westfries, is relieved about the reopening. “We were blown away when we heard it,” he says. “Imagine that they first had two corona years, and now this … I think many people would have dropped out. I suspect that the ice rink could not have been opened at all. Then that would have been the end of the story. , I think.”
The first track competitions will be held on Friday 14 October. The first national marathon follows a month later. “We are very happy, also for the competition drivers”, Bakker explains. “You now have certainty. The next board meeting is already planned.”
Amsterdam association
Not only in Hoorn, but also in Amsterdam, people responded with relief to the reopening of the ice rink. The Student Ice Hockey Association Thor from the capital has purchased time slots at De Westfries for the new season, so that they can have all teams train here.
They can also register a new team thanks to the extra time slots. The intention is that the new team will start the season on October 2.